How to Get Diaper Cream Out of Cloth Diapers
Cloth diapers are a great way to save money and help the environment, but they can be difficult to clean when diaper cream is involved. If you’re a parent, chances are you’ve had to deal with diaper cream at some point. Keep in mind that each situation is unique, so you may need to try more than one method.
Diaper cream can be a great way to protect your child’s skin from diaper rash, but getting out of clothes and fabric diapers can also be tricky. In this blog post, we’ll provide some tips on how to get diaper cream out of cloth diapers. So read this blog post.
12 Easy Methods on How to Get Diaper Cream Out of Cloth Diapers
1. Use Rubbing Alcohol
Apply rubbing alcohol directly to the affected area, then press firmly with a clean white cloth. Do not rub back and forth; instead, use firm pressure for about one minute. Rinse well with water and follow up with a thorough wash in hot water using your usual detergent.
2. Use Dish Detergent
This method isn’t as harsh as rubbing alcohol and can be done without the worry of damaging the cloth diaper. First, apply a small amount of dish soap to the stained area by hand or spray, then rub gently with your fingers until you see/feel the stain start to lift away from the fabric. Rinse well and follow up by washing hot water using your usual detergent.
3. Use More Dish Soap or Baby Shampoo
If the dish soap or baby shampoo method didn’t remove all of the stains, then try adding a small amount of your regular laundry detergent to help lift out more of the stubborn stains that remain. Once you’ve done this, rinse and wash as usual until complete.
4. Use Baking Soda
Mix baking soda and water into a paste and apply to the affected area. Allow this mixture to sit for 2-3 minutes, then rub off with a cloth. Rinse well and follow up by washing in hot water using your usual detergent until complete.
5. Use Baby Powder
Apply baby powder over the affected area, rub it into the fabric well, then allow the baby powder to sit on the stain overnight. The next day, remove and rinse well before washing in hot water with your usual detergent until complete.
6. Use Stain Stick
If you have a methylated spirit or greasy stain stick laying around, you can use it to help remove the diaper cream stains. First, apply directly to the stained area, rub it well with your fingers, and then allow the stain stick solution to sit on the fabric. Once complete, rinse and wash using hot water and your usual detergent.
7. Use WD-40
Apply a small amount of WD-40 to the stained area by hand or spray, then rub gently with your fingers until you see/feel the stain start to lift away from the fabric. Rinse well and follow up by washing hot water using your usual detergent.
8. Use Lighter Fluid
Apply lighter fluid directly to the stained area, then allow it to sit for 10-15 minutes before rinsing well with water and washing in hot water using your usual detergent until complete. You can also use aerosol hairspray in place of lighter fluid; however, this may not be as effective.
9. Use a Steam Cleaner
If you have a steam cleaner, use it on the stained area by inserting the nozzle into the fabric and pulling the trigger to release steam. Allow time for this method to work before laundering as usual. If you don’t have a steam cleaner, simply place your cloth diaper over a steaming pot of water and hold it in place with a towel. Then, allow the cloth diaper to steam on the affected area for five minutes before removing and laundering as usual until complete.
10. Use Sunlight
Sunlight can be used as a method to help bleach out stains that are left behind by diaper cream. Place the stained cloth diaper in bright Sunlight for at least one hour, then wash. If you don’t have access to bright Sunlight (such as winter months), you can use a UV light or sun lamp instead.
11. Use Dishwasher
Throw them in the dishwasher’s drying cycle. The hot water and steam will help disinfect any possible bacteria, grease, or oil left behind by diaper cream. You can also consider hand washing with a moderate amount of bleach to ensure they are germ-free after being exposed to the baby’s bottom.
12. Apply Petroleum Jelly
Petroleum jelly is a great way to remove the stain and protect the fabric from bleach as you’re doing the laundry. After applying petroleum jelly over the stained area, allow it to sit overnight before laundering, as usual, using hot water and your regular detergent.
You Can Check It Out to Wash Cloth Diapers by Hand
Some Tips and Suggestions
1. If using cloth wipes, place the dirty ones in your diaper pail; don’t wipe your baby’s bottom with them!
2. Goop gets hard after sitting for a while, so scrape it off before getting started.
3. Soak the diapers in warm water and dish soap for at least one hour before washing.
4. Add baking soda to the soak cycle; this helps soften the creams or lotions.
5. Baking soda can also be added to your wash cycle for an extra boost of cleaning power!
6. Use more than one rinse cycle with lots of hot water in each one. This is the essential step in the process.
7. If using cloth wipes, place the dirty ones in your diaper pail; don’t wipe your baby’s bottom with them!
Things to Consider When Getting Diaper Cream Out of Cloth Diapers
1. Just like removing poop, treat this situation with patience and persistence. This isn’t something that will come out immediately; it may take several rounds of soaking to get the diaper clean.
2. You can use dish soap (Dawn detergent is what many people recommend) or baby shampoo on the cloth diaper while soaking to help the situation better.
3. When removing the diaper cream, remember that whatever oil you used to apply the cream is still on the fabric, and you’ll need to get rid of it, or your diaper will repel liquid and not absorb anything, rendering it useless as a diaper.
4. Once all of the cloth diapers have been dealt with (the clean ones, that is), then you can deal with the clothing or bedding that may have also been affected.
5. Remember that the oils from the diaper cream will not go away on their own, so if you do nothing, it will just spread out and possibly stain other things in the wash.
6. If your cloth diapers have a double lining, try using a butter knife or plastic knife to scrape off as much of the residue as possible before starting the washing process.
Conclusion
If you have a cloth diaper that got stained with diaper cream, this is the article for you. We have shown how to get diaper cream out of cloth diapers to be reused again and again. As always, it’s important to remember not to use any products on your baby’s skin without speaking first with their pediatrician about what would be best for them.
The following general guidelines should work well in most cases but may need individual adjustments depending on the type of fabric or stain present. Remember, if something doesn’t seem right after using one technique, try another until things look better. We hope this blog post on how to get diaper cream out of cloth diapers has been helpful. If you have any questions or want to know more, then feel free to comment below!
